Dean of Students | Mr Damien Cuddihy

Our Year 11 cohort had the privilege to listen to a well-known friend of the College in Br Damien Price during the week on the topic of leadership within the school context. Br Price has spent many years working in Christian Brothers schools in Queensland and was one of the key staff involved in starting up the Big Brekkie and many of the current retreat programs experienced by the boys here at Terrace. As a person who has taught and coached thousands of boys over the years his comments in an article, “Five-second moments for parents of teenage boys”, published by the Archdiocese of Brisbane recently, holds strong currency in my view. The full article can be found here.

Br Price makes several suggestions for five second moments but his concept of “shadow boxing” is a simple effective way of connecting with teenage boys. There will come a time when the boys become “too cool” for the hugs, high fives or even holding hands. It’s at this time when the shadow boxing concept can fill the void. It’s that time when a parent “walks along the side of the sports field, approaches the son on the edge of a group, and without stopping ruffles the hair and keeps going. That five-second choice (and it takes many forms) says to the lad: I love you! I am proud of you! I am here for you!”. The inner radar of boys makes note of this and stores it away for a psychologically rainy day.

We have received some very positive feedback from parents about the School TV website that explores the important topic of child well-being. The current issue unpicks the potentially destructive issue of “Internet Addiction”. Dr Michael Carr-Gregg and other leading experts in the field discuss problematic internet use in this month’s edition. If you haven’t been able to take five minutes to have a look at the resource I encourage you to do so. The link can be found on the Terrace App under the “Notices” menu.